Adjustable mounting system for power tubes



Ap 2 1949. R. B. LEWTHWAl'i'E ET AL 2,468,088

ADJUSTABLE MOUNTING SYSTEM FOR POWER TUBES I Filed Oct. 17, 1945 A TTOR/VEY Patented Apr. 26, 1949 ADJUSTABLE MUUNTING SYSTEM FOR FUYWER TUBES Raymond B. Lewthwaite, River Edge, and Stephen J. Straub, lrvington, N. 5., assignors to Federal Telephone and Radio Corporation, New York, N. Y, a corporation of Delaware Application (Dctober 17, 1945, Serial No. 622,922

8 Claims.

This invention relates to a tube holder and more specifically to a holding system which facilitates the safe and rapid insertion or removal of an electron discharge device.

There are many types of vacuum tubes, especially of the high power variety, which are designed for mounting in a vertical position, with connections between internal elements and ex ternal circuits being made through socket contacts at the top ends of these tubes. The ordinary vertical holder employed in conjunction with any such tube provides support at some section near the base of the tube structure and requires that the tube be inserted or removed in a vertical path. It is necessary to raise and lower either the holder assembly at the base of the tube or the socket contacts at the upper end of the tube to accomplish such an insertion or removal. Oftentimes it is much rnore safe and convenient to keep the holder assembly and socket contacts rigidly fixed while the tube is introduced or withdrawn from a position at a side of the vertical holder. This arrangement may also make unnecessary the movement of shielding associated with the socket contacts and external. circuits.

A holder assembly which is opened to sideways receive or release a tube and which elevates the tube to a position where good connections are established with the socket contacts therefore constitutes an improved vertical holder. Particular reference is directed to the forced air cooled type of tube 'which'is positioned by a clamping arrangement around the anode cooling vanes and which must be elevated to insure firm connections between tube and socket contacts.

Accordingly, it becomes one of the objects of this invention to provide an elevating means which supports and raises or lowers a vertically mounted electron discharge device without necessitating the movement of other parts of a tube ,holder which receives a tube for vertical ew iinsh the requir m iq r t e ret 2 at the top end of the tube or the holder assembly at the lower end.

It is a still further object to provide, for a tube. of the type having contacts at the top and sup ports at the bottom, a holding arrangement which receives the tube from a side position and which permits adequate manual control of the tube during the inserting or removing processes.

These objects should be more clearly understood and other objects become apparent in View of the following discussion and the drawings associated therewith, wherein:

Figures 1 and 2 represent an embodiment of the holder. The front elevation shown by Fig. 1 includes a tube and shield in addition to the holder itself; the top plan view in Fig. 2', taken along e ection 22 of Fig. 1, represents only the main holder assembly:

The invention is illustrated associated with a particular tube, but it is apparent that this struc ture will be oi advantage in the holding of any tube which is similarly supported at the bottom and has connections to external circuits through contacts at the upper end. The grid and plate circuit shield 61, of Fig.1, and the holder assembly 2 are rigidly fixed in position. When it is desired to insert a forced-air cooled type of tube 3 into the holder, the captive clamping screws 4 are first withdrawn so that the front portion of the hinged clamp 5 may be swung open about the hinge pivot t. The elevating screw assembly,

comprised of 'l' and 8, is next removed and the tube inserted. To accomplish this insertion, it is necessary to tilt the tube slightly to allow the leads 9 to enter the opening in the shield. The tube may then be rested on the mounting plate it of the holder.

After the internal screw 1 of the elevating mechanism has been screwed downinto the outer threaded sleeve 8 the tube is manually lifted a little and the elevating mechanism slipped under it. A key on the inner screw mustengage the keyway ii in the back holder. rests on the elevating mechanism, the outer sleeve 8 is rotated with the aid of a rod inserted in the drilled holes 12. This action liftsthe tube into engagement with the screen grid contact springs l 3. When the proper position is reached,

the clamp 6 is closed and the three captive-screws 4 tightened, locking. the; clamp .with .the anode While the tube cooling vanes l4 and thus holding the tube in place.

Other parts of this particular tube holding arrangement which are portrayed in the diagrams are the ceramic rods i5 supporting the holder through clamps [6, glass cloth air duct I 1, air stream director 58, and screen bypass condenser assembly 19.

The only time the tube must be handled with one hand is when the elevating screws are slipped under it. At all other times during handling, both hands are free to support and guide the tube. Consequently, the danger of breakage is considerably lessened.

A main feature of this invention lies in the screw elevating mechanism employed to position the tube accurately and in a convenient manner. Another outstanding component is the anode vane hinged clamping device which provides the major positioning support for the tube and which, by virtue of the hinged movement of one half of its structure, enables the entry or the anode into the clamp from one side. The advantages of these arrangements over those found in the ordinary type of holder should be recognized when it is realized that, to accomplish the insertion or removal of a tube, the ordinary holder involves movements of holder sections which are normally rigid and often awkward to manipulate.

Undoubtedly many modifications of the system described will occur to those skilled in the art without actually departing in spirit or p'inc from this invention. The discussion and d ings have presented, only by way of illustration, a particular tube structure and a holder, specially designed therefor. However, the scope of the invention shall be considered limited only by the objects already discussed and by the following claims.

We claim:

1. An electron discharge device mounting system, comprising a socket mounted for insert on of said device from the under side thereof, elevator means mounted below said socket and said device having a rotatable part and a non-rotatable part, and apertured means for facilitating turning of said rotatable part to move said elevator means upwardly into contact with said discharge device and position said device in said socket.

2. An electron discharge device mounting system, comprising a socket mounted to recs device from the under side thereof, an elevat lg mechanism positioned below said socket device, said mechanism consisting of a rotatable internally threaded member and an externally threaded non-rotatable member, means for preventing rotation of said externally th eaded member, and apertured means for facilitating the turning of said rotatable member for raising said device into said socket.

3. An electron discharge device mounting system, comprising a socket mounted for insertion of said device from the under side thereof, ele-- vator means mounted below said socket and said. device, apertured means for facilitating the oper ation of said elevator to move it upwar ly into contact with said device and raise said device into said socket, a divided substantially cylindrical electron discharge device clampin means n1ounted around said elevator means, and hinge means for pivoting one part of said cylindrical clamping means for opening to permit insertion or removal of said device.

4. A system for holding an electron discharge device comprising clamping means for circumferentially grasping said device, said means including a half section rigidly mounted and another half section rotatable to allow insertion of said device into said clamping means, elevator means for raising said electron discharge device to a desired level, a mounting plate for said elevator and clamping means, a pivoting means on said mounting plate about which a half section of said clamping means may rotate, and means for supporting the combination of the above-named means.

5. A holder for an electron discharge device, including clamping means for circumferentially supporting said device in a vertical position, said clamping means comprising a rigidly mounted half-section and another half-section rotatable to allow sideways insertion of said device into said clamping means, elevator means located within said clamping means for raising said electron discharge device to a desired level, a mounting plate for said elevator and clamping means, a pivoting means on said mounting plate about which said rotatable half-section of said clamping means turns, and means for supporting said mounting plate.

6. A system for holding an electron discharge tube comprising clamping means for supporting and positioning said tube by attachment thereto, said clamping means permitting the sideways insertion of said tube therein, elevator means located said clamping means for raising said tube to a position which insures good connections between upper tube contacts and external circuit leads, said elevator means including a rotatable internally threaded member and an externally threaded non-rotating member which screws into said rotatable member, stopping means for preventing rotation of said externally threaded member, a mounting plate for said elevator, clamping and stopping means, and supports for the combination of above-named means.

7. A holder system for an electron discharge device, including circumferential clamping means for grasping and positioning said device, said clamping means comprising a rigidly mounted half-section and a rotatable half-section allowing sideways insertion of said device into said. clamping means, locking means on said clamping: means to tighten said clamping means around. said electron discharge device, an elevating mech-- anism comprised of a rotatable internally thread-- ed member and an externally threaded non-rotatable member which screws into said rotatable member positioned within said clamping means, apertured means for facilitating the turning of said rotatable member for raising said device into firm engagement with the external circuit connectors, a stopping means for said non-rotating member, consisting essentially of a projecting key on the non-rotating member and a keyway in said clamping means, and a mounting plate on which said elevator and clamping means are supported.

8. A tube holder for a vacuum tube having a forced-air cooled anode, comprising clamping means grasping said tube for vertically supporting and positioning said tube with anode at the bottom, said clamping means including a rigidly mounted half-section and a rotatable half-section allowing sideways insertion of said anode into said clamping means, means for locking said clamping means to said anode, an elevating mechanism internal to said clamping means comprised of a rotatable internally threaded mem- 6 her and an externally threaded non-rotatable member which screws into said rotatable mem- REFERENCES CITED ber, apertured means for facilitating the turning The fOlIOWing re ces are of record in the of said rotatable member for raising said vacuum fi Of this patent: tube to a position wherein good connections are 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS established between upper tube contacts and external circuit leads, air deflecting means within Number Name ate said non-rotatable member, a key projecting ,9 0, Laport Oct. 17, 1933 from said non-rotatable member and a keyway in said clamping means in which said key is po- 10 sitioned, a mounting plate on which said elevator mechanism and clamping means rest, and supports for the combination of above-named means.

RAYMOND B. LEWTHWAITE. STEPHEN J. STRAUB. 15 

